New Media - Social Networking and Inclusion

It was everywhere - everyone was tweeting - linking and engaging in debate in almost real time - social media hit the General Election 2011.
Every news programme, every paper, almost every TD had a twitter account. Post Trafigura the oft scorned tweet has gained some gravitas, that and the impact social networking is having in the Middle East at present, coupled with the impact and immediacy of the tweet and the blog cannot be ignored.
Live blogging too has impacted enormously - whether your sport is centred on the Aviva, or the local count centre, RTE's, and the IT's enhanced coverage was excellent recently.

In 'Another blog about the role of Social Media' Éanna Ó Caollaí writes about the best Tweets in #GE2011 - they are well worth a look...

Digital History by Dan Cohen

There is an absolutely excellent online resource for anyone who is interested in digital scholarship. It is by Dan Cohen and Roy Rosenzweig and called Digital History. It discusses the shift in concepts and methodologies that the web ennables. And it is in the language of the 'techno-realist' as opposed to the 'too good to be true' optimist It is available here: Digital History. Dan's blog is at dancohen.org and has a video and pdf slides of his recent plenary at the Coalition for Networked Information posted.

Guardian review of Sherry Turkle's new book Alone Together

Sherry Turkle has written a new book Alone Together the review is here but it is the comments section where the debate is most interesting. Many respondents refute the existence of halcyon days of yore where we all struck up conversations spontaneously with stranges on public transport or in cafes and also refer to other cusp moments where new technology was derided...

Research Intelligence at Oxford's e-Science Research Centre

This is an interesting article from the THE on the inherent interdisciplinarity of what we do - and how the world has shrunk in terms of knowledge creation and sharing in real-time.

How blogging worked to communicate the photography of Vivian Maier

There is an article in today's Guardian newspaper about a hitherto unknown photographer, and the man who found her negatives in an auction house, put them on a blog and shared the work. He admittedly knew little about photography, but the international response to the images on the blog allowed him to understand the significance of Maier's work.

Steve Wozniak and the Free Internet

Maggie Shiels the BBC's technology blogger is here highlighting Steve Wozniak's recent appeal for a 'Free' internet.

In an open letter, Wozniak addresses a range of issues about the public domain, and why it matters that access remains open.

The culture wars have begun - again...

Job in Digital Paleography

Vacancy: Research Associate (Digital Palaeography)

The Centre for Computing in Humanities (CCH) seeks a suitably experienced Research Associate for a new four-year project on digital palaeography.

The post holder will be based at CCH, an academic department in the School of Arts and Humanities focusing on research into the possibilities of computing for arts and humanities scholarship. The project, ‘Digital Resource and Database of Palaeography, Manuscripts and Diplomatic’ is funded by the European Research Commission (FP7). Its primary aim is to create an online resource for palaeographical study, discovery and citation, emphasizing the vernacular scripts of eleventh-century England.

The post holder will work closely with the Principal Investigator and others in the project team to work with original manuscripts to compile palaeographical and codicological data, to prepare this data and the associated images for online delivery, to contribute to innovative ideas about the display and interrogation of palaeographical data on line, and to help disseminate the project’s findings through conferences and colloquia.

A PhD or equivalent on a relevant medieval topic involving the study of manuscripts is essential, as is an appreciation of the potentials and limits of humanities computing. A high level of skill in palaeography and codicology is required, as is working knowledge of Old English and Latin. Some experience working with XML, databases and/or digital images is desirable.

The appointment will be made, dependent on relevant qualifications and experience, within the Grade 6 scale, �G33,070 inclusive of �G2,323 London Allowance, per annum. Benefits include an annual season ticket loan scheme and a final salary superannuation scheme.

This post is fixed term until 30 September 2014.

For informal enquiries please contact Dr Peter Stokes on +44 (0)20 7848 2813, or via email at peter.stokes.

Further details and application packs are available on the College’s website at cass-recruitment. All correspondence should clearly state the job title and reference number G6/AAV/629/10-HK

The closing date for receipt of applications is 5 January 2011.